Sony Plans New 'Ghostbusters' Film with Channing Tatum

Deadline reports the studio has formed Ghost Corps, a company that includes original "Ghostbusters" creatives Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd, "to scare up branding opportunities" based on the hit 1984 comedy.

Wasting no time, Reitman has enlisted "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" directors Anthony and Joe Russo to direct and produce, "Iron Man 3" scribe Drew Pearce to write, and Channing Tatum and his partners Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan to produce.

The hope, according to Deadline, is for Tatum to take one of the Ghostbusters roles.

“We want to expand the "Ghostbusters universe in ways that will include different films, TV shows, merchandise, all things that are part of modern filmed entertainment,” Reitman told the website. “This is a branded entertainment, a scary supernatural premise mixed with comedy. Paul Feig’s film will be the first version of that, shooting in June to come out in July, 2016. He’s got four of the funniest women in the world, and there will be other surprises to come. The second film has a wonderful idea that builds on that. Drew will start writing and the hope is to be ready for the Russo brothers’ next window next summer to shoot, with the movie coming out the following hear. It’s just the beginning of what I hope will be a lot of wonderful movies.”

That vision sounds a lot like what Aykroyd discussed in September, with a revived, expanded "Ghostbusters" franchise that would reach from film to television. “It’s beyond just another sequel, a prequel, another TV show,” he said at the time. “I’m thinking what does the whole brand mean to Sony? What does Pixar and 'Star Wars' mean to Disney? What does Marvel mean to Fox?”

Update: According to Badass Digest, the central idea for the film is built on the chemistry between real-life friends Tatum and Chris Pratt. "This isn't a case of 'everybody wants Chris Pratt in their movie,'" Devin Faraci writes, "this is a case of these two guys being pals and wanting to make this movie together." The apparent plan, as Reitman suggested, is for Feig's "Ghostbusters" and Tatum's to lead to an "Avengers"-style team-up.

Faraci also points to talk of a fourth film, a prequel that would have nothing to do with the 1984 original. The result would be a Marvel Studios-style universe, akin to what Aykroyd talked about months ago.